


More Brothers

by Lanelle



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond, Suicide Squad (2016)
Genre: Forgot I wrote this, Gen, I kinda like it at least, Jason's dirty mouth, Matt needs more Bat Family Love!, Might not update it again, Not really edited, Posting for the heck of it, bad language!, tell me what you think!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-05 22:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13397136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanelle/pseuds/Lanelle
Summary: Project: Batman Beyond was implemented far earlier with a far more ruthless Amanda Waller in charge of the project.





	1. Chapter 1

Tim scanned through the files, reading over the massive damage done by the arsonist. Over the last three days, twelve different government facilities were torched. Each and every last one of them was off the books and dealing with government covert opts. No one was hurt but every last building had their data storage totaled.

"It takes a lot of coordination to do something like this." Barbara says scanning the same information. "It would take a large group of people working together or someone inside for weeks to plan this."

"Yeah, they're definitely professionally trained too." Tim points to one of the building's schematics. "It would take someone on our level to get into some of these areas."

They knew about the buildings because many of them were ones they broke into to gather information when they suspected government involvement in some villian's plan.

"Cadmus.. Task force X... Prometheus.. Am I the only one seeing a pattern?" 

Tim shakes his head, "No, I see it too. Someone has a grudge. The movement of what facilities are being hit is going straight towards Gotham."

"Is there one in Gotham?" Dick asks reading over the reports and looking over the collected photos.

Both Tim and Barbara snort at the question, "Multiple." Oracle brings up a map. There were seven covert buildings within Gotham alone. "These are just the big places. There was dozens of smaller safe houses that they sometimes work out of."

"That's not including the ones that have been compromised at one time or another." Tim adds.

"We definitely need to narrow it down if we want to catch this guy. Do either of you have any clue which one they're going to hit?"

Tim hums a bit, it wasn't exactly hard to figure out. All three organizations that were hit were connected to one person... one person that had A LOT of enemies.

"Amanda Waller." 

Dick turns away from the screen and gives him a look, "You think they're targeting her." It wasn't a question. Tim nods anyways. "Do you know which ones are connected to her?"

"Nope but I think Batman might have an idea. If whoever this is, is closing in on her we have to intercept them. Who knows what their end game is."

Dick nods and turns away from the screens, "I'll contact 'B' you two keep digging."

==========

The air was fridge. Everyone was at different locations, all of which were connected to the founder of Cadmus and Leader of Task force X, the suicide squad. Tim, Red Robin, was personally at the house of Amanda Waller. 

He was perched on a roof across from her home. He could see her quietly sitting at her kitchen table preparing a tea set. He was fairly certain that she knew that he was there. It didn't take a great detective to realize that she was expecting visitors... 

She wouldn't be casually setting up a tea set. She wouldn't be home in a low security building (though the windows were probably bullet proof glass) and she sure as hell would be looking for who was causing all the damage. 

He didn't like this..

"Ho Ho ho... guess what I just found?" came Jason's voice over the communicator.

"I know it's not Santa. Aren't you still on the naughty list?" Steph's teases. 

That reminded Tim, it was getting close to that time of year. December was just around the corner. He should probably start looking for gifts for everyone. Anything to avoid the disastrous last minute chaos he had to deal with last year.

Jason snorts, "I was born on the naughty list. Besides that's where all the fun is."

"Being on the naughty list and being naughty isn't the same thing Hood. If it was, then Jolly old saint Nick would give you lacy underwear." Dick informs him with a laugh.

"Ugh! Keep your fantasies to yourself Dickhead." Jason says with a grimace, "Anyways back to business. I found one of the fire starting bombs. Piece of art, definitely someone with some skill behind this. All the parts are recycled from normal items."

"Make sure it doesn't have a back up receiver on it." Oracle reminds him.

Hood huffs, "That was one time!"

Tim snorts at the exchange but pauses as a soft beep sounds from his wrist computer. It was a hidden program he hooked up to the camera feeds. Someone had successfully looped the feed from one of his hidden cameras. He created the program six months ago... It was invaluable for these type of situations but it wasn't perfect. It took a few minutes to detect the looped feed. Especially if the person looping the feed was good. Everyone one else was getting the same report.

"None of the internal sensors are picking him up. He's hacked the system. Get in there quick." Oracle reports, scanning the other equipment feeds from the building.

"Backup's on the way." Jason says over the communicator. 

\--------------------------

It took longer to make it into Waller's home then what he would have liked. Bullet proof glass was good with stopping projectiles, but it wasn't so good for dramatic hero entrances.

Reaching the kitchen, Tim wasn't prepared for what met his eyes.

It was a kid, maybe ten or twelve. He was dressed all in black, shirt pants, shoes, even his socks. he had a black mask in one hand but in the other... he had a gun and it was trained at Waller.

"Don't." Waller says sharply. She was relaxed and sitting at the table. She also wasn't talking to the boy, she was talking to him. "He has every right to be angry at me. He has every right to shoot me." there was a note in her voice, it was barely there but Tim knew it enough to realize ... she genuinely cared for this kid.

"Kid whatever she did, this isn't worth it."

He needed to get the gun away from the kid. Whatever Waller did was probably bad enough that the kid WAS justified. The kid however got past HIS security and was caught only because he probably never came across his program before. He definitely had enough training to fire on Waller before he could counter..

"Oh I don't know. I think he would be quite satisfied with putting me down." Waller says calmly, lifting her tea cup and taking a sip. "But to end what I was doing would take a little more effort. Someone is just going to step into these old shoes."

"I'll stop them too." the boy bursts out, trembling, his aim however was ridged.

Waller chuckles, "You'd have to stop the whole government. Power plays and manipulating situations, eliminating problems are fundamental building blocks of every government."

"Director, I assume he's responsible for..." 

"The surgical strikes at multiple government facilities? Yes, I'm quite proud of him. He's taken to his training well." The woman says fondly. "I knew they were going to happen but that comes from actually pulling the strings and knowing how he would react. It was fairly easy to arrange this little meeting." she looks over at Tim, "I was hoping for your mentor but I assume another case came up."

Something did come up but Tim doesn't vocalize it. When dealing with someone like her never confirm facts. The less she can confirm the less she can anticipate.

"I'm not taking another order from you ever again!!" the boy growls out, a heavy scowl on his face.

"No, you're not." Waller states calmly, pointedly ignoring the gun trembling in the child's hand. "I arranged for you to find out the truth. What I did in relation to you was inexcusable. The more I've come to know you, the more I've wanted to make things right."

"You can't fix this." the boy says harshly.

"No, but I can do what's right with the choices I have at this moment." Waller picks up a thick manila folder from a counter near the table. She places it on the table next to another tea cup. "Inside is everything for you and your little brother. Every bit of paper work you'll need to live your life, to move on."

The boy doesn't move to take it, doesn't even glance at it. Waller lets out a sigh, "Mr. McGinnis, I'm retiring. The higher ups are replacing me with a younger and far less.. sympathetic individual. The government invested quite a bit of money into your care and training. They weren't going to let you or your brother go. They were planning on turning you into something completely different then what you were striving for. They were going to turn you both into killers." she looks down at the gun with a grimace, "As part of my forced retirement I requested that you be let go. I also requested that if I was to turn up dead that they look the other way. My requests were granted."

\----------------

Tim could tell that the boy 'McGinnis' truly did want to kill Waller but in the end he picked up the manila folder and left her without a word.

"You did the right thing." he tells him quietly. Jason and the others stayed back during the boy's confrontation. Because he was the first responder he kept his com open for the others. They heard everything and they didn't want to add fuel to an already volatile situation.

The boy looks up at him, his face was filled with conviction, "She deserves to die."

"I assume so," Tim was emptying the gun's chamber, He took it from the kid as soon as he lowered it. ".. but you don't deserve to become a killer because of her."

"She's just going to get away with it. The government says she could just kill them... so she's allowed to just walk away." Angry tears were gathering at the edges of the boy's eyes. "It's so wrong.."

Tim stiffens, "Do you still have the information you uncovered?" Waller said she had grown fond of him. Considering her personality it probably meant she had a great deal of interaction with this kid. The kid was used and manipulated by her, dragged into a life that wasn't meant for a child. What was so important about this kid in particular. And who exactly did she kill? Tim definitely had a suspicion of who she had killed but he needed conformation. "Who did she kill?"

The boy doesn't say anything just reaches into a hidden pocket, fishes out a small flash drive.

'McGinnis' leans up against a wall and stares angrily into the distance, waiting for him. Tim doesn't hesitate and plugs the drive into his wrist computer.

Only part of the information inside the drive was decoded but it was enough. The boy's name was Terrence McGinnis, son of Mary and Warren McGinnis. They were murdered three years ago in order to traumatize the boy so they could 'mold' him. The McGinnis' at the time, also had a infant son named Matthew. Waller's people kept him with his older brother in order to have leverage once the boy got older.

The file on the boys mentioned a genetic project?

Scanning through the files he comes to the summary of the cache of files. It was still locked.

Activating a decryption program, Tim waits a few seconds for it to do it's particular brand of magic. Opening the particular file, Tim couldn't help letting out a gasp.

'Project: Batman Beyond.'

It was far worse then he thought. Scanning the data, Tim activates him com-link again. "Oracle, where's 'B'?" the boy was already over by him reading the information on the small screen. It was too late to hide it from him. Considering the situation he deserved to know the truth anyways.

"Heading back to base. It's going to take a few hours though."

"Is something wrong Red?" Dick asks concerned. He probably heard some sort of note in his voice.

Tim takes a deep breath, "Yeah something is seriously wrong. Can't explain it over the coms." He turns off the link and turns back to the boy. Black hair, blue eyes, the start of Bruce's strong jaw... yeah he definitely had all the signs of being his kid. He even looked similar to Damian.

The kid was looking at the text in the file shaking his head, clearly in shock.

"Kid.." why couldn't Dick be the one to guard Waller's? He was so much better at this sort of thing.

"..she stole us..." he says faintly, "... she stole us from dad... were not his.."

Tim let out a breath, the kid wasn't wrong. They needed to get out of here however. There was no telling who was watching Waller at the moment. "Hey!" the kid looks at him in a daze, yeah he was definitely in shock, "You stashed your brother nearby right? Let's go get him and I'll bring you both back to base. It's not safe here." he indicates Waller's home and the nearby buildings.

"Yeah.. Matt .. I need to keep Matt... safe. I promised..." the kid was saying it like a mantra. Best to keep him focused on that for the moment. The kid suddenly turns to him and gives him a sharp look. "Why should I go with you? How do I know my brother will be safe?"

That was surprising. That was almost a batman level voice too.. "You and your family weren't the only victims. The big guy is going to be livid about this. The reason he put the cape and cowl on was to prevent a repeat of what happened to him. He'll do everything he can to keep you and your brother safe."

The eleven year old searches his face for any sign of deception, after a moment he nods. 

"Let's go and get your little brother."

\-----------------------------

Terry led the weirdo in the costume to where he stashed his brother. He knew he was one of Batman's group, he just didn't remember the guy's specific name. 

Arriving at the 'for sale' home, he quickly unlocks the door and goes inside. Like he expected, the little runt was sound asleep on the old couch in the living room, a superman figurine in one hand and a Flash figurine in the other. His other toys were spread around a dufflebag on the floor. He's been dragging it around since they escaped 'custody'.

Keeping the other guy within view he quickly picks up the toys stuffing them into the bag. Grabbing the two in his brother's hand he puts them into the pocket with the rest.

Finished, Terry goes to an relatively new book shelf and climbs a couple shelves. Reaching onto the top one he pulls off another bag. It was the one with the extra explosives. He couldn't exactly leave it for some innocent civilian to find could he?

His back was turned for only a moment, but the guy already had the dufflebag slung over a shoulder and was reaching to pick up Matt.

"Don't touch my brother." he glares at the weirdo. He may be a kid but that didn't mean he would follow blindly. Not anymore... not again... He didn't know this guy. Until he did he wasn't going to trust him.

The guy lifts his hands in a defensive motion, "Sorry, He just seems a bit big for you to carry."

"He'll never be too big for me to carry." He wasn't going to ever be some weakling civilian again. His brother will always be safe with him.

The weirdo, for some reason, gives him a weak girly smile. It was the same smile Mom used to give him when he did things for her without asking. "Then I'll carry the other bag too." 

Terry wasn't going to argue with that. He much rather have a hand free in case something came up.

\----------------------------------

The kid clearly didn't trust him, but Tim had to check him and his brother over. So reluctantly Tim found himself using a rarely used button on his dash board. Terrence still had his arms wrapped around his little brother. The younger boy, Matthew was snoring and drooling on his older brother's shoulder. His car was only a two seater.

Holding his breath, he let the 'heater' button do it's work. It quickly filled the cabin of the car with an odorless, sightless gas. After the kid head falls forward clearly asleep, he vents the car and takes a deep breath. Hopefully the boy wouldn't suspect that it was anything other then a long day that knocked him out. 

"Red Robin to Cave." He knew they were curious about what was going on.

"Cave here." Dick was already there... Jason and Damian was probably back at the cave already, waiting for the news.

"ETA fifteen minutes." he has to check the two and their luggage over for bugs and tracers.

The line comes on again, "Not even a hint of what to look forward to?"

He ignores the slight plea in Jason's curious voice. He could have easily come to help. It might have put the kid more on edge though so it was probably for the best. 

He puts the car on autopilot and turns to the sleeping kids. Reaching into one of the car's many hidden compartments he pulls out a modified version of an airport scanning paddle and gets to work.

\-----------------------

Arriving at the cave he had over ten different bugs and trackers in a specialized box that interfered and blocked signals. The kid really did 'try' to escape from some seriously controlling bastards. 

Dick was talking to Oracle at the main terminal, She was still at the clock tower, Red Hood was at a work bench dissecting what looked like the homemade bomb, Batgirl and Black Bat were to the side listening to Dick and Babs talk and Damian was near the equipment rack inspecting his gear for nicks.

Everyone was still in full uniform. 

His car pulls into it's assigned place, the top hatch opens automatically and silently.

"So it was a little kid this whole time?" Dick asks walking up to the car, "Why do we need to call..." he stops and stares down at the two kids in the passenger seat. Dick spent a lot of time around both Damian and Bruce. If anyone could immediately spot the similarities it's him. After a moment he takes in a deep breath. "..Are they who I think they are?"

"Maybe... I think we should go by the books until Bruce gets here. Confirm it with our equipment and go over the files." Dick tended to be a little emotional in cases involving the family. He usually didn't let it effect his actions like Jason, but it didn't hurt to point out the obvious.

"You mind cluing the rest of us in?" Jason asks from the side, "All I see is an ankle biter and a perfect recruit for Robin."

"Oh they're adorable." Steph coos, "Look how protective he is of his little brother, even sleeping." 

The noise seemed to be a bit much for the younger of the two. The little boy shifts on his brother's chest and lifts his head slightly, there was a small drool stain on his older brother's shirt.

When Tim gassed the interior of the car the kid was already asleep with his face pushed into his brother's shirt. Not only was he not breathing deeply he didn't have the air directed into his face like his brother. For their safety Tim couldn't leave the gas on very long. The kid wouldn't be awake right now if he breathed any of it. In retrospect it wasn't much of a surprise that he was awake.

The little boy wiggles a bit and eases out of his brother's hold. His bright blue eyes blink, his little brow scrunched up in confusion, his eyes suddenly grow large, taking in the sight of their suits.

He suddenly lets out a squeal and hurls himself out of the car and into the arms of the nearest of them... Batgirl. "Bahgurl! Bahgurl! You here!" his little arms were wrapped around her neck in a hug, his mouth stretched a mile wide. He didn't have his front two teeth. He looks over her shoulder and spots others. "Wobin!! Hi... Hi Wobin!!" he was bouncing so much that Steph could barely hold the little guy.

"I think the ankle biter's a fan." Jason deadpans.

Tim snorts, "Watch out Batman, your detective title is in jeopardy."

"Tim we should start confirming what's in the files." Dick says quietly, looking at the excited little toddler, his mouth in a painful smile. It looked like he was fighting both a grin and a grimace.

"Yeah uhh," he sends a worried look over at Jason. 

Jason lifts a brow at the look, "That bad huh?"

"...I'm tempted." Tim admits reluctantly, a sour feeling in his stomach.

Jason snorts, "If it's that bad, I should probably just go over and shoot her then. Get it done and over with." he wasn't serious, but it was very likely that they would have to hold him back once he sees the files.

While they were talking, the little boy managed to wrangle Batgirl into bringing him to the bag with his toys. He was holding up his little version of Batman and his little version of Superman. He was explaining animatedly about them and their abilities.

Batgirl's grin matched the little boy's. Whatever he was saying was amusing the hell out of Steph.

Damian sides over to the three, his gaze on the child, his face pale.

"You okay little 'D'?" Dick asks quietly.

The sixteen year old tears his gaze from the small child and swallows, "He looks like me."

Jason snorts, "Hate to break it to you brat but we all look alike."

He shakes his head, "No. Mother had an album of me when I was young. I looked through it once before I came to live with Father. He looks EXACTLY like I did at that age." Damian says "I don't see a difference at all."

Tim nods, "It's not surprising considering."

Looking back at the two kids, looking at them a little more closely, Jason groans and rakes a hand over his face, "Shit, Waller pulled a Talia."

"It's worse than that." Tim admits reluctantly, holding up the drive with the recently decrypted files.

Steph must have been keeping half a ear on the discussion, she turns to them, "..I'll keep an eye on the little guy. I"ll bring him over to the med bay. You guys look over the files."

Cass who was next to her nods, "I'll watch our other little brother." they didn't know the boy Terry's exact abilities. Cass would be the best to counter him considering her ability to read people. She picks up the eleven year old as if he didn't weigh anything.

"While you're at it could you get some DNA and start the first test?" There wasn't any way a DNA test wasn't going to be done at least a dozen times. Bruce would be behind at least half of them.

"Why not." Steph says, "I know someone who probably love to help us." she says looking at the little boy who practically had stars in his eyes.

The children taken care of, the current and former male Robins, head to the primary computer console. Tim hesitates as he's about to plug in the drive.

"Computer, Vehicle Lock-down, Alpha authorization only. Computer, Cave Lock-down, Alpha authorization only." Tim commands reluctantly..

The three others straighten. An alpha level lock-down could only be undone by either Alfred or Bruce. Well at least without spending an hour hacking the system. Considering how many emergencies could crop up at a moment's notice, locking down everything was only to be done in a very serious situation.

Alfred was overseas with Bruce at the moment.

"Open the damn thing already." Jason snaps. Tim pretty much just imprisoned them in the cave. He was sure that Jason wanted to know what he's suppose to be pissed about. That or it was him being trapped underground again.. which he honestly didn't think about until just this moment...

Tim sits down at the computer and plugs in the drive. Opening the file he leans back as the others read. It only takes three lines in for the others to explode.


	2. Chapter 2

"That sick fucking bitch... I'll kill her." Jason snarls reading the woman's step by step rundown of how she was breaking the kid. How she stole Bruce's DNA... copied the murders that messed Bruce up.. How she manipulated the kid into thinking he had to become an emotionless shell, how she put him through training programs that THEY would balk at...how she betrayed his trust in a thousand little ways... how she tried to maneuver him into the mentally scarred twisted mold that was Batman.

To purposely, coldly, methodically damage someone in this way... it was far beyond child abuse..

"Not without drawing it out..." Damian's face was carved marble, nothing but harsh lines. His eyes were shards of ice. 

There's surprisingly silence at Tim's other side, no older brother trying to hold them back, no older brother being the voice of reason. Tim looks up at Dick.

His oldest brother's face was pale, his pearl white teeth were bare and formed into a savage snarl. The handsome face that girls adored was twisted into something truly ugly.

He was a picture of pure rage.

"Dick..." Besides Alfred, he understood the irreversible damage done to Bruce better then any of them. He understood the utter anguish the older man still felt to this day.

Dick snaps his gaze to him. Tim couldn't help a slight shiver. Many times in the past he wondered how Dick of all people could actually pull off being Batman, how he ever wore the cowl... the look currently on the acrobat's face quickly puts all those questions to rest.

"The kid, Terrance... he walked away. He left her alive." he points out quietly, forcing the words out, ignoring the shiver of fear racing down his spine, not of his brother but for him. Someone like Dick shouldn't ever have that look on his face. Tim knew that he would be angry.. he was always more emotional with the crimes involving children. Most of them were, but this was a new level of anger.

This crime was too close to home.

Tim knew he didn't really have to say more. If anyone had a right to do something to Waller, it was that kid... or Bruce.

Dick closes his mouth and takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes, his fists at his side shaking, trying to calm down. "Tim's right." he says harshly, his voice like gravel, "We're not touching her."

Jason stills, his mouth turned downwards his teeth clinched together, grinding, Tim could tell he wanted to argue, to rage, but some sane part of him was still listening, "..For now... but if that kid later wants her dead. I'm not letting any one of you stand in his way." he says harshly.

It said a lot that Dick didn't argue. He instead outright ignores the statement and reads further into the files, into the part where it revealed some of the project's more instrumental players. "Get to the other computer stations. We have an organization to expose and take down."

\-----------------------

Bruce leans back in the leather seat with a tired sigh. The numerous aches and pains that he readily ignored throughout the day were finally making themselves known. His cheek stung under the bag of ice he was holding. The swelling was going down to a reasonable level. His ribs, ever abused, were luckily not broken this time only slightly bruised and his ring finger on his right hand was wrapped in the artificial flesh bandage to keep him from being questioned from any curious observers.

'Bruce Wayne' was returning from an overseas business trip and the media was still in an uproar over the latest scandal he orchestrated. They were watching for him, so he needed to be seen arriving by his private jet.

"Sir, we'll be arriving at Gotham international in ten minutes." Alfred informs him, picking up the plate that previously held a simple sandwich.

Grunting he opens his eyes and lets out a sigh, "Did the boys manage to wrap up the arsonist case?"

It didn't seem like a hard case to solve, there was a clear path. A GCPD detective could have probably worked through where the arsonist would strike next. Well... if they had knowledge of where the local government covert facilities were.

"I do believe so sir. However I received a message just moments ago that you should probably see." the butler says reluctantly.

After getting out of his uniform, while he cleaned up, he handed everything over to Alfred. He wanted a moment of peace so he didn't bother getting all of his communication devices back from his friend right away.

"Just read it to me Alfred." he couldn't do anything about it at the moment. He had to wait to get off the plane at any rate.

Alfred clears his throat, "It's an automated message sent by the cave sir. The cave is in a top level lock down."

Bruce sits up, ignoring the ache in his back, "Who activated it?"

"Master Tim, sir." Alfred says quietly.

He didn't often acknowledge it but each one of his sons had certain areas that they excelled in beyond himself.

His oldest knew drama. Dick knew how to create a scene, knew how to get others to believe it. An almost instinctive showman, he used that knowledge of humanity to connect to people in ways that Bruce never could or would.

His second son, Jason reflected the streets, the rage, the brutal violence, at times the insanity, the hint of culture, and more often recently... the hope of redemption the city still had. He understood the streets best. Jay-lad was shaped by those streets more then even him.

Damian, his genetic son, had all Bruce's natural gifts and the overwhelming drive to learn. All of his sons had an unnatural drive to be the best but Damian took it a dozen steps forward. His competitive streak was something of its own.

Then there is Tim. Tim was a detective perhaps on par with himself. It wasn't because of outright intelligence, they all were intelligent. Tim excelled in seeing to the heart of a situation. He was good at putting emotion aside and seeing what needed to be done. He saw how he changed after Jason's death. He saw how Batman needed a Robin.

That being said, Tim locking down the cave was NOT a good situation.

"Have you checked the cave's video feed?" He needed to know what he was going to walk into.

Alfred nods, "Yes sir, the cave is hosting a couple guests. Miss Cassandra and Miss Stephanie are watching a pair of boys. A toddler and another boy about ten years of age. The older boy is in the medical bay, unconscious."

"What are the older boy's injuries?" 

Alfred shakes his head, "I highly suspect that he isn't injured sir. Miss Cassandra is personally watching the lad."

A possible unknown threat then. Was the boy the arsonist? Why would they lock down the cave at the highest level when one of the lower lock down codes would work just as well? Why do it for a boy that was at their mercy? Was he a meta with the ability to read minds? It would explain why they would use a code they couldn't reverse. If it was that type of threat, why would Tim be the one to lock down the cave? Dick wouldn't hesitate if there was that type of threat.

"What is Dick and the others doing?" he needed more information.

"Each one is at a computer, sir." They were investigating something then.

Bruce holds out his hand. A moment later his cell phone was in his hand, unlocked and accessing the cave's security. 

His sons were indeed on the computers. Each one was either concentrating or simmering with barely contained anger. That bit of information put a new spin on things. The lock down wasn't to contain the unconscious boy... it was to contain the current and former Robins.

Half way through typing the batcomputer's code to see what they were searching through, an alert flashes on his screen. Stephanie just posted something on the (reluctantly created) social network for the watchtower. He would normally ignore it or check out her activity later but since she was in the cave, it was probably part of what had his sons ready to draw blood.

She posted a video.

It was of the young child. From what he could see, he was about three or four years old. He was in the medical wing of the cave but he wasn't injured. He had on a pair of blue jean overalls, a little shirt, and a pair of well worn tennis shoes. He had what seemed to be a fragment of one of Bruce's damaged capes tucked into the back of his shirt collar, draped over his shoulders and dragging behind him. He also had Redhood's helmet on his head.... It was so large on the child that it almost reached shoulder to shoulder. The eye sockets of the helmet glowed a yellowish sheen. The kid was holding up a superhero action figure .. Flash.

"MUhahaha. Vash wittle now! Can't wun away!" the voice modulator in the helmet was ON.

The video feed wobbles briefly, the girl's giggles could be heard in the background.

The boy shakes his hand miming the little Flash moving fast, "MUhahaha!"

"Unhand him you villain!" Batgirl comes into view, dramatically pointing a finger at the little boy. It looked like she was having trouble keeping a straight face.

The little boy doesn't hesitate and bolts as fast as his little legs can go, giggling through the voice modulator, the oversized domed helmet was bouncing left and right on his shoulders as he runs.

He quickly speeds out of view as the video ends.

"It seems sir that a new villain has emerged. I wonder what nefarious deeds he has planned for Gotham." Alfred deadpans, a barely noticeable hint of humor in his voice. Anyone but Bruce himself, would not have heard it.

Bruce couldn't help the small but strained smile. Humorous as the video was, physiological warfare was a major tool in his arsenal even among allies. Softening even one of their reputations was like taking two steps back. That however, was perhaps worth the hit.

"At least Jay doesn't keep explosives in his helmet anymore." Bruce sighs closing the video, absentmindedly buckling in for the Jet's final approach to the runway.

\----------------------------

Arriving back at the Manor, Bruce doesn't hesitate. He goes to a wall, moves a small hidden leaver and opens a compartment in the garage, revealing an emergency Batsuit. He quickly suits up and runs through the manor and up to the study.

One of the protocols after a high level lock down was that it wasn't fully over until he had access to the main computer terminal. Until that moment only one entrance (of his choice) could be accessed.

The entrance connected to the study gave him the high ground. 

"Sir, I'll be in the kitchen if you require my assistance." Alfred informs him, giving him a polite nod as he leaves the room.

Bruce opens the security panel connected to the grandfather clock he activates the retinal scanner and quickly enters the codes to reverse the Alpha lock.

The door clicks open.

Immediately the smell of gunpowder hits his nose. The cave had a few trails of smoke leading up towards the ceiling. Bits of the cave walls were strewn across the metal gangways. Hood was stepping over a twisted metal door that lead to the armory. It was one of the things locked when this level of security was initiated. Someone obviously managed to get inside. One of the upper cave walls had a great chunk blown out of it, exposing the titanium reinforced walls behind them. Someone tried to get out of the cave manually. 

"Red, the kid got some more of the plastic explosives and a ton of other stuff. Knives, batarangs, more smoke bombs." Jason calls out to the main terminal. 

Tim was typing away at the computer, scanning the cave's many cameras looking for someone. "Nightwing he's definitely not on the main level any more. He's probably trying to keep his body heat down so the sensors don't pick him up. The water is his best bet of doing that."

"A re-breather was part of the equipment he took." Jay points out.

Bruce heard enough, "Computer lock down Cave, code Alpha." He could hear the door behind him slam shut, resealing the cave.

"Br... Batman!" His third son looks up from the terminal and gives him a relieved look.

Bruce grunts, "Report." the last time he checked the cave, everyone was fine and very little was out of place. The situation, whatever it was, went down hill far too fast. It was probably better for him to get an assessment before just jumping into it.

Tim gives him a pained smile, "I don't even know where to start."

"The boy that was in the medical alcove is responsible for this I assume," Bruce says giving him a lead, "Is he the arsonist? Why was he brought back to the cave?" he fires off. 

Jason barks out a laugh, it didn't have any humor in it, "Yeah, he's the arsonist. If I was him I would have done a lot more then light a match to Waller's shit and say it's done."

His oldest takes that moment to pull himself out of the chasm in the center of the cave. Dick was damp from being in the water below. It was clear that he was listening to the conversation over the communicator, "The kid escaped Cass and Steph. He had a sightless, odorless, gas tablet. He set it off as soon as he woke up. It wasn't poisonous. We put them in a couple of beds to sleep it off.

"Why wasn't he secured in the first place?" Bruce asks pointedly.

Tim takes this moment to wince, "He came willingly however he was very suspicious of me. I gassed him in order to check him over for bugs." he holds his hand up defensively, "I didn't think he'd notice. According to the reports, he's been very busy the last few days. It wasn't likely that he had much sleep. Anyways, he had almost a dozen trackers on him and his brother. I don't think he was even trained to find the type he had on him."

Bruce looks between the boys, and narrows his eyes, "What aren't you telling me?" they exchange looks. They didn't deny it. His boys shift uneasily, exchanging looks, having a sudden and very silent conversation with each other. The looks were vague enough that not even he knew the contents.

Finally Dick speaks up, "Show him the files Tim.", his voice was abnormally quiet and grim.

His little brother hesitates for just a moment but turns and opens up a data file.

\---------------------------

Pain Desensitization, sleep deprivation, sometimes just sessions of torture to see how much he could endure. Those were just a few of the training methods used on the boy, Terrence.

From the first paragraph onward it was clear that Waller was making him into a weapon.. a tool to point and unleash. And he endured it... even thrived from the challenges. Reading why he was motivated caused Bruce's heart to almost freeze in his chest and his stomach to twist as the old echoing scream of his mother passes through his mind.

It was far too much of a coincidence... 

Opening the other files, he finds the whole truth... the truth that this was deliberately done. It was planned... They used what happened to him as a god-damned blueprint to tear a person, a child apart... HIS child.

He keeps his hands from shaking by keeping them clinched, his legs were locked to keep him from falling too the ground. It took every bit of his control to keep himself from destroying the computer in front of him. A part of him wanted to destroy it so it would reverse what happened. But there was no hope for that, there was no changing this... 

"Is it confirmed?" the words leaving his mouth weren't human, it was more an animal's wounded growl.

Tim lets out a breath, "Yes."

His thoughts a riot, he vaguely notes the sound of Damian's deliberate footsteps behind them.

"Where did you find him?" Dick asks the sixteen year old quietly. They were waiting for him to finish reading, waiting for him to outwardly react.

The teen grunts, "He stashed the child in the secondary batplane. He managed to blow out one of the windows."

Without even thinking, Bruce turns to his teenaged son. The teen had the small three year old child in his arms, the youngest boy, Matthew. He was sound asleep.

He never realized it before now, but this is the first time he's ever seen any of his children this small. A child who could believably be called a baby. His cheeks were round with a slight touch of pink, his little breaths made a whistling little snore. His fingers were so small he doubts his entire hand could wrap around his thumb. In this moment, he couldn't help but be amazed how utterly small a person could be. 

It made a hollowness echo in his chest. He missed this with all of them. He will never see them play with super bright toys or make mud-pies or play with blocks. There was a wonder to such an young innocence life, that before this moment, he never really thought of.

It made a fierce protectiveness rise in him, no one was ever going to take that from this boy.

Taking a deep breath, Bruce forces himself to focus on the matter at hand. A warning suddenly crawls down his spine, and just like that, he knows where his other young son is.

He turns and looks up.

The boy was up on the railing of one of the upper gangways. He had his arms crossed with multiple batarangs expertly held between his fingers and at the ready. He had a copy of Bruce's fiercest scowl on his face. He was looking directly at him, "I don't care WHO you are, if you don't give me back MY little brother right now, I'm going forget my rule about hitting old people and I'm gonna kick your ass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little kid obsessed with Superheroes suddenly surrounded by their gear... yeah, he's so playing with that shit. To keep him occupied and to entertain herself, I can see Batgirl going along with it.. perhaps even prompting the kid...
> 
> I honestly was not planning to include that little scene into this chapter. Why is Matt always excluded from the Bat Family in these fics?? He would be the interesting one to include... mainly because he's not messed up.
> 
> Anyways I hope I got the emotions right and didn't make any of them OOC. Bruce is especially difficult, he doesn't express himself outwardly in mild situations. It makes writing his inner dialogue in those moments difficult. 
> 
> Again I should point out that I have ZERO amount of the future of this fic planned out.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I really don't see Amanda Waller just leaving the kid to his own devices after she has his parents killed. I don't see why everyone makes that assumption. Anyways I know this has been kinda done before but it's usually time-travel. Thought I'd write an alternate version of it where it happened earlier. I had this in a file and forgot about it for six months oppsy? Why it's Tim centric ... well... I don't know... he seems the most civilian minded and I can get into that mindset..


End file.
